Personal computers typically include one or more browser programs that enable a computer to interact with web sites that are accessible via the Internet. Current day browsers include software modules that are included with the browser initially, or added to the browser at a later time through an updating process that is initiated by the user but otherwise is automatic. Modules that are added to the browser are typically referred to as browser add-ons, and one category of browser add-ons is a toolbar.
A toolbar is a software module that presents itself to a user as a block of onscreen buttons, icons and/or some other visual elements, such as text. Toolbars often include a text box that, when a button or icon is clicked, activates certain functions of the module and forwards the inserted text over the Internet. Some toolbars are defined by the programmer, and have set functions. Others allow the end user to modify and customize the toolbars to fit the user's personal needs. Typically, the toolbar provides one of more functionality that is not provided by the browser. The basic construction of a toolbar is well known in the art and is, therefore, not described herein.
One such toolbar is disclosed in US Patent Application 2006/0179060. It describes a toolbar that is customized to include a set of functions and, more particularly, it describes a toolbar that is created by a hosting service to have functionalities that are made specific to the needs of different website owners, creating a relationship between the hosting service and many different website owners, and allowing the website owners to obtain the benefits of the toolbar, and any enhancement thereof, without needing to worry about toolbar designs. One of the benefits of the inventions disclosed in the aforementioned application is that a website owner needs to only specify the particularization, or customization, information to a browser in order for the browser to effectively have a toolbar that is customized to the website owner, including defining a specific look-and-feel as well as functionalities of the browser add-on toolbar. In other words, an instantiated version of the toolbar that had been created by the toolbar creator is fashioned.